It is often the case that people who have injuries to one of the legs at a point below the knee require assistance walking. To meet this need knee crutches and knee canes have been devised that support the healthy knee above the injury site. These devices include, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,375 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,778,370 which exemplify these devices. These patents disclose devices that are constructed to support a portion of the patient's weight at a handgrip in the case of a cane, or a handgrip in combination with an armpit support in the case of a crutch. A problem exists with these devices, however, because they limit movement of the lower leg while it is suspended. The devices are also limiting because they require the user to lean to one side over the injured leg and in vertical alignment with the ground-engaging portion of the device because force is being applied above the knee support. This creates an awkward stance that does not mimic a normal walking posture. Also, these devices are often composed of many separate parts that in many cases are secured to the user's leg, which makes them time consuming to put on and take off. Furthermore, many knee-supporting walking aids cannot be used with a lower leg cast or a foot-disabling boot.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a knee-supporting device that can be used by patients with foot and ankle injuries and does not display the above-described deficiencies.